Scotland-based rocket builder Orbex has announced that it will “pause” the construction of its Sutherland launch facility and shift its initial launch operations to SaxaVord. The company stated that this move will allow it to reallocate funding toward developing a new medium-lift rocket called Proxima.
In November 2022, Orbex announced that it would be taking over the construction of Sutherland Spaceport on the A’ Mhoine peninsula in Scotland. At the time, the company stated that it would invest £20 million into the project over an initial three-year period.
Construction of the initial infrastructure for the spaceport has not been without incident. In November 2023, the company was forced to request a change in its planning permission to move tracking antennas from the site to Ben Tongue, a prominent hill in the region approximately 8 kilometres from the spaceport. Around the same time, a lorry operated by one of the site’s contractors sank into a bog and needed to be hauled out. Earlier this year, the company announced that a floating road leading to the spaceport would have to be “realigned” to avoid deeper areas of a bog. The company has also been required to allocate funds to restore the site to its original state after operations conclude.
On 3 November, Orbex announced that it would be pausing the construction of the Sutherland Spaceport and instead launching its first rockets from SaxaVord. This decision appears to have been an abrupt one.
In early November, the company announced updated plans for the spaceport that feature a smaller launch pad and streamlined launch services facility to minimize the site’s environmental impact. Moreover, on 25 November, Orbex revealed plans to proceed with Phases 3 and 4 of construction at the site. This would have included earthworks and the construction and outfitting of the site’s first buildings, including the fitting of doors, windows, wall cladding, and electrical systems. While the tendering process for these phases was scheduled to close on 29 November, the tender page has since been removed from the Orbex website.
“Orbex is first and foremost a launch services specialist,” explained Orbex CEO Phil Chambers. “Our primary goal is to support the European space industry by achieving a sustainable series of satellite launches into low Earth orbit. This is best achieved by focusing our resources and talents on developing launch vehicles and associated launch services.”
Chambers added that the move would allow the company to launch its two-stage Prime rocket from SaxaVord in 2025.
Proxima: Orbex’s New Medium-Lift Rocket
In January 2024, Orbex appointed Phil Chambers as the company’s new CEO. In an interview with the Financial Times shortly after his appointment, Chambers explained that the company was already discussing the introduction of a larger rocket.
“Logically it makes sense if you want to drive prices down, but all this can only really happen with a larger rocket,” Chambers said. “The question is how will it be supported financially.”
It appears that Chambers has found an answer: stop spending money on your own launch facility!
The 4 December Orbex press release provided little detail about the rocket. All that has currently been announced is that it will be a medium-lift rocket and it will be called Proxima.
